Go War Eagles!

I first met Wendy Willis when she was a young teenager visiting us in Reynolds. I don’t remember getting a really good look at her at first because she was always turning flips in the front yard.

The Willis family got the rug pulled out from under them not long after Wendy’s first visit to Reynolds. Their dad (and husband) was diagnosed with a fast growing brain cancer and before they knew it he was gone.

Doggone it. Life can be tough. This very close knit family had its collective heart ripped apart.

As I have seen replayed time and time again in too many families to count, Elizabeth (the mom) all of a sudden was not just mom but she had to be mom and dad to her three children.

And she did an amazing job.


All three children attended Auburn University and became bona fide War Eagles (bless their hearts). The two oldest, Wendy and Kim (photo shown here taken a few years ago) have both graduated and are married. Paul is currently a senior at Auburn.

I don’t know why they had to go through what they had to go through. But I do know this: Their dad would be extremely proud of his children.

He would also would be extremely proud of his wife.


We know the Willis family because they are neighbors and best friends with our family in Rome, GA. We spent a lot of time with the Willis’ over the years. We have been on several beach trips with them and visit every chance we get and just consider them family.

This family is not just “wedding guest” friends. They are “rehearsal dinner” friends. Some of you understand that but if not the rehearsal dinner list is much shorter than the wedding guest list. Take that from someone who just got a couple of sons married off (Wendy is pictured here with our boys).

On one of our beach trips years ago, Wendy was very stressed because she was about to got through cheerleader tryouts at Auburn. Not surprisingly, she became an Auburn cheerleader. The next year I was in a store and picked up a national sports magazine and saw her picture in it. I smiled.

Wendy had hit the big time.

We started watching every Auburn football game that came on television so we could see Wendy cheering on national TV. We had Wendy parties at our house. Not everybody can get a die hard Georgia Bulldog fan to watch Auburn football on a regular basis.

Not only was Wendy a cheerleader but she was also active in a local church in Auburn. She met a wonderful guy at that church who would eventually become her husband. Kevin and Wendy felt a calling on their lives and for a couple of years they have been preparing to do what they are doing now.

They have dedicated their lives to their calling and have recently moved on the other side of the world. Their plan is to be there at least for three years.

We got an email from Wendy yesterday. The communication is cryptic in nature because of the condition in which they live in the Pacific Rim. All communication is monitored.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Hey Uncle Bruce and Aunt Kathy!
We miss you. We will let you know if we need anything. Ya'll are so
precious to us. Thank you for lifting us up.
We are doing well. We start language study on Monday so you can
remember that. We look forward to learning to communicate.

We love you
Wendy and Kevin

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Wendy spent several years cheering for the Auburn football team and basketball team.

Now it’s time for the rest of us to cheer for her and her husband.

Georgia Bulldog or not, I am cheering for these two War Eagles.

But more importantly there is also cheering in heaven.

I am sure her dad is leading the cheers.